This invention relates to an improved hand-held wild-seed reaping and cutting collecting apparatus and method for the harvesting and collection of wild-grown seed.
There are two main methods for harvesting wild seed in existence today. The first method, and the one most widely used, is hand harvesting. When the seed to be harvested is plentiful, adequate amounts of seed can be harvested in a reasonable amount of time. The disadvantage of this method is that the work is tedious and can subject the harvester to back soreness from stooping and cut hands from the harvesting itself. Further, hand harvesting is only an adequate solution for the small to very small size projects.
The second method for harvesting wild seed is through the utilization of machinery. In wide, flat areas free of large rocks, brush, and non-native plants, farm equipment has been used for wild-seed harvesting. An example of a farm harvesting machine is disclosed in Bodine U.S. Pat. No. 3,597,906 which discloses a threshing device whereby grain is removed from the stock by means of sonic vibrations.
Another technique utilizing machinery that is useful in harvesting flat areas is a "bumper gatherer" which is a modified bag attached to the front bumper of a pickup truck. The truck is simply driven across the field and wild seed is hopefully deposited in the bag attached to the front bumper. Obviously, a lawn mower with a grass catcher attached to it would also be useful in flat, obstruction-free areas for the few species that are only several inches high.
Unfortunately, almost all of the flat lands of the United States have been farmed, whether they be by wide mesas or river bottoms or elsewhere. Abandoned farm land is usually dominated by pest species such as Johnson, Bermuda and exotic brome grasses. Further, most flat remnants of high quality native prairie habitat discovered in the United States are probably significant enough that they have been acquired for protection. In any event, it is obvious that the usefulness of farm equipment or typical mechanical means for harvesting wild seed is severely limited. The other drawback is that previous devices, other than hand harvesting, do not provide for selectivity in harvesting nor enable the operator to travel to steep, rocky or brushy territory to harvest seeds appropriate for those particular types of landscapes or to simply obtain seeds in these locations that have been spared harvesting by simpler methods.
Thus, there is a need in the art for providing a hand-held wild-seed reaping device which effectively gathers wild seed in areas where wild seed is most prominently available. It, therefore, is an object of this invention to provide an improved hand-held wild-seed reaping device that enables the user to harvest seed wherever walking is possible, even in steep, rocky or brushy territory. Further, it is an object of this invention to provide a means whereby harvesting of only especially desired or specifically selected species is enabled and avoidance of unwanted species is provided. Still further, it is an object of this invention to provide an efficient means for harvesting of single species in large colonies. A further object of this invention is to provide a device with the capacity to harvest a wide assortment of seed so that, when used in a diverse habitat, the harvest can emulate the variety of species which are producing seed at a specific time of year. Further, this device can be utilized during traditional household and landscape uses of string line cutters to catch and gather the cuttings during operation.